CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1890

The Cape Government Railways 5th Class 4-6-0 of 1890 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

This article is about one of two different Cape Government Railways locomotive types to be designated "5th Class". For the other, see CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1891.

CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1890
OVGS 5th Class K 4-6-0 1890
South African Class 05 4-6-0 1890
Midland System no. 293, renumbered 493, then OVGS no. 42, CSAR no. 319 and SAR no. 0319, as built
Type and origin
♠ - Coupled wheels, as built
♥ - Coupled wheels, retyred
Power typeSteam
DesignerCape Government Railways
(Michael Stephens)
BuilderDübs and Company
Serial number2664-2683
Build date1890
Total produced20
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0 (Tenwheeler)
 • UIC2'Cn2
Driver2nd coupled axle
Gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading dia.28 in (711 mm)
Coupled dia.♠ 46 in (1,168 mm)
♥ 49 in (1,245 mm)
Tender wheels37 inches (940 mm)
Wheelbase40 ft 2 3⁄8 in (12,252 mm)
 • Engine19 ft 1 3⁄8 in (5,826 mm)
 • Leading5 ft (1,524 mm)
 • Coupled10 ft (3,048 mm)
 • Tender10 ft (3,048 mm)
Wheel spacing
(Asymmetrical)		1-2: 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm)
2-3: 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)
Length:
​
 • Over couplers48 ft 1 3⁄4 in (14,675 mm)
Height12 ft 1 1⁄2 in (3,696 mm)
Axle load:
 • Leading		7 LT 15 cwt (7,874 kg)
 • 1st coupled10 LT 8 cwt (10,570 kg)
 • 2nd coupled10 LT 8 cwt (10,570 kg)
 • 3rd coupled9 LT 15 cwt (9,906 kg)
Loco weight38 LT 6 cwt (38,910 kg)
Tender weight28 LT 11 cwt (29,010 kg)
Total weight66 LT 17 cwt (67,920 kg)
Tender type3 axle
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity4 LT (4.1 t)
Water cap1,950 imp gal (8,860 l)
Firebox typeRound-top
 • Firegrate area16.18 sq ft (1.503 m2)
Boiler:
​
 • Pitch6 ft 4 1⁄2 in (1,943 mm)
 • Diameter4 ft (1,219 mm)
 • Tube plates11 ft 1 7⁄8 in (3,400 mm)
 • Small tubes185: 1 3⁄4 in (44 mm)
Boiler pressure150 psi (1,034 kPa)
Safety valveRamsbottom
Heating surface1,037.28 sq ft (96.366 m2)
 • Tubes946.32 sq ft (87.916 m2)
 • Firebox90.96 sq ft (8.450 m2)
CylindersTwo
Cylinder size16 in (406 mm) bore
24 in (610 mm) stroke
Valve gearStephenson
CouplersJohnston link-and-pin
Performance figures
Tractive effort♠ 15,030 lbf (66.9 kN) @ 75%
♥ 14,110 lbf (62.8 kN) @ 75%
Career
OperatorsCape Government Railways
OVGS
Imperial Military Railways
Central South African Railways
South African Railways
ClassCGR 5th Class, SAR Class 05
Number in class20
NumbersMidland 291-308, Western 119-120
Delivered1890
First run1890
Withdrawn1953

In 1890, the Cape Government Railways placed twenty 5th Class tender locomotives with a 4-6-0 Tenwheeler type wheel arrangement in mainline service on its Midland and Western Systems.[1]

Manufacturer
Michael Stephens

Twenty 5th Class 4-6-0 Tenwheeler type tender locomotives were delivered to the Cape Government Railways (CGR) from Dübs and Company in 1890. The locomotive was designed by Michael Stephens, Locomotive Superintendent of the Western System of the CGR, and was built to detailed designs prepared by the Salt River drawing office in Cape Town. Of the twenty locomotives in the Class, eighteen went to the Midland System to work out of Port Elizabeth, numbered in the range from 291 to 308. The other two, numbered 119 and 120, went to the Western System for service in the Karoo on the section between Touws River and Beaufort West.[1][2]

Characteristics

The locomotive was a larger and improved version of the earlier 4th Class 4-6-0 tank-and-tender locomotive. As built, it had 46 inches (1,168 millimetres) diameter coupled wheels which were later retyred to a diameter of 49 inches (1,245 millimetres).[1][2][3]

Compared to the second batch of 5th Class locomotives which were to be delivered a year later in 1891, it had a short smokebox on which the chimney was so close to the front of the smokebox that the headlight had to be mounted on a platform, attached to the front of the smokebox. The smokeboxes were later extended to suit South Africa's low-grade coal and to make room for wire-netting spark arresters.[1][2]

The boilers had an operating pressure of 150 pounds per square inch (1,034 kilopascals) and were equipped with Ramsbottom safety valves.[2]

Service

Cape Government Railways

The 5th Class proved to be very useful engines and were considered the first really efficient all-round locomotives in the Cape of Good Hope. They were used wherever the mainline had severe gradients and curves. Because of their greater power, the older 4th Class locomotives were gradually relegated to secondary duties.[1][2]

Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen

In late 1896, eight of the Midland System's locomotives were sold to the newly established Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen (OVGS), where they were designated 5th Class K and renumbered in the range from 41 to 48.[1][4][5]

Central South African Railways

During the Second Boer War, control of all railways in the Orange Free State was taken over by the Imperial Military Railways. At the end of the war in 1902, the eight ex-OVGS locomotives came onto the roster of the Central South African Railways (CSAR), where they were renumbered in the range from 318 to 325.[1][6]

In 1904, the CSAR reboilered two of these locomotives, numbers 319 and 322, with larger boilers and Belpaire fireboxes which were equipped with Drummond tubes. This increased their heating surface by 272.72 square feet (25.337 square metres) and, at a higher operating boiler pressure of 180 pounds per square inch (1,241 kilopascals), these two locomotives were able to easily haul the load of the next higher class. Since, by then, these locomotives were being withdrawn from mainline traffic, no more such reboilerings were carried out.[1][7]

South African Railways

When the Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, the three Colonial government railways, the CGR, the Natal Government Railways and the CSAR, were united under a single administration to control and administer the railways, ports and harbours of the Union. Although the South African Railways and Harbours came into existence in 1910, the actual classification and renumbering of all the rolling stock of the three constituent railways was only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912.[4][8]

By 1912, sixteen of these locomotives survived, twelve on the CGR and four, including the two which had been reboilered, on the CSAR. They were considered obsolete by the South African Railways (SAR), designated Class 05 and renumbered by having the numeral 0 prefixed to their existing numbers.[4]

During 1914, at the outbreak of the First World War, military planners followed the example set by the British invading forces during the Second Boer War and identified a requirement for armoured trains. For this purpose, five Class 05 locomotives were specially protected with armour plate and named Trafalgar, Scot, Erin, Karoo and Schrikmaker. The armour-plating was fitted by the workshops in Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Salt River. Their engine numbers are not known, nor whether they were from this Class or the Class 05 of 1891 or both.[9]

In spite of being considered obsolete, some of the Class 05 locomotives survived as shunting engines in SAR service for another four decades, with some even getting reboilered while in SAR service. One confirmed example is no. 0506, which was still equipped with boiler no. 7244 of 1924 when it was withdrawn from service in the 1950s.[10]

When they were eventually withdrawn in 1953, the Class 05 locomotives were the last of the obsolete engines to be still in SAR service.[6]

Works numbers

The works numbers, CGR System, original numbers, renumbering and distribution of the Cape 5th Class of 1890 are listed in the table.[1][4]

Illustration
  • Midland System no. 295, renumbered 495, then SAR no. 0495, with extended smokebox, c. 1912

References
  1. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 39–41, 78, 108, 122, 126, 133. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
  2. Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1943). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter II - The Cape Government Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, December 1943. pp. 883-886.
  3. Dulez, Jean A. (2012). Railways of Southern Africa 150 Years (Commemorating One Hundred and Fifty Years of Railways on the Sub-Continent – Complete Motive Power Classifications and Famous Trains – 1860–2011) (1st ed.). Garden View, Johannesburg, South Africa: Vidrail Productions. p. 43. ISBN 9 780620 512282.
  4. Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer's Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 27-28. (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
  5. Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1944). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter V - Other Transvaal and O.F.S. Railways. South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, December 1944. pp. 925, 927-928.
  6. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 20. ISBN 0869772112.
  7. Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1945). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter VI - Imperial Military Railways and C.S.A.R. (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, January 1945. p. 15.
  8. The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 25.
  9. Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1945). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter VII - South African Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, October 1945. p. 782.
  10. Class 05 of 1890 and 1891 - SAR reboilering
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